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The Book of Judges 14

14 Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Tinmah, from the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he went back up and he reported to his father and to his mother, and he said, “I saw a woman in Timnah, among the daughters of the Philistines. So now take her for me for a wife.” 3 His father and his mother replied to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all of my people, that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Take her for me, because she is right in my eyes.” 4 But his father and his mother did not know that this matter was from Yahweh, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down along with his father and his mother to Timnah. They came as far as the vineyards of Timnah, and look, a young lion among the lions was roaring when encountering him. 6 The Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon him, and he tore it to pieces like butchering a young goat. There was not anything in his hand, but he did not disclose to his father or to his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and he spoke to the woman, and she seemed right in the eyes of Samson. 8 Then he returned after some days to take her. He turned aside to look for the carcass of the lion, and look, there was a swarm of bees in the dead body of the lion and honey. 9 He scraped it into the palms of his hands and he went along, walking and eating as he went to his father and to his mother. He even gave some to them so that they ate, but he did not disclose to them that he had scooped the honey out of the dead body of the lion.

10 Then his father went down to the woman, and there Samson prepared a drinking feast, because so would do the young men. 11 Now it happened when they saw him, that they brought thirty close friends and they were with him. 12 Samson said to them, “Let me propose to you a riddle. If indeed you explain it to me during the seven days of the drinking feast, and truly you have found out, then I will give to you thirty linen outer garments and thirty changes of clothes. 13 But if you are not able to provide an explanation to me, then you must yourselves give to me thirty linen outer garments and thirty changes of clothes.” They said to him, “Set forth your riddle, so we may hear it.” 14 He said to them,

“From the eater came forth food;

and from a strong one came forth sweetness.”

But they were not able to explain the riddle in three days.

15 Now it happened on the seventh day that they said to the wife of Samson, “Entice your husband so he may reveal to us the riddle, lest we burn you and the house of your father with fire. Have you invited us in order to dispossess us or not?” 16 Then the wife of Samson wept beside him and she said, “Surely you hate me! You do not love me! You have put forth a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not informed me.” He said to her, “Look, I have not informed my father or my mother, should I inform you?” 17 She continued to weep beside him during the seven days that they had the drinking feast. Now it happened on the seventh day that he informed her because she pressed him, with the result that she revealed the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 Then the men of the city said to him before the sun went down on the seventh day,

“What is sweeter than honey?

and what is stronger than a lion?”

So he said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,

you would not have found out my riddle.”

19 Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon him. He went down to Ashkelon and he struck down thirty of their men. He took their spoil, and he gave the changes of clothes from the riddle. His anger blazed, and he went up to the house of his father. 20 Then the wife of Samson came to be the wife of his close friend, who associated with him.

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